Photoelectric conversion apparatus and driving method of the apparatus

1. A radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a drive circuit for driving the photoelectric conversion elements; and a control circuit for controlling said driving, wherein said control circuit generates signals for starting a first mode for applying a voltage to said photoelectric conversion elements, and for starting, after stabilizing a dark current component of said photoelectric conversion elements after an elapse of a predetermined period in said first mode, a second mode for driving said photoelectric conversion elements to obtain image information.

2. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first mode is a standby mode and said second mode is an exposure mode.

3. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a switch for changeover between said first mode and said second mode.

4. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said switch has a first switch for selecting the first mode and a second switch for selecting the second mode.

5. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 3, comprising selecting means for selecting the first mode or the second mode in accordance with an input from said switch.

6. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 4, comprising selecting means for selecting the first mode or the second mode by determining an on or off state of said first switch and an on or off state of said second switch.

7. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a pressing force of a pressing portion of said first switch is set smaller than a pressing force of a pressing portion of said second switch.

8. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, comprising timer means for outputting a signal of start of said second mode.

9. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first mode and said second mode are selected by a mechanical switch.

10. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first mode and said second mode are selected by an electric circuit.

11. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first mode and said second mode are selected by a combination of a mechanical switch with an electric circuit.

12. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said photoelectric conversion element has a first electrode, an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and a second electrode on a substrate.

13. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said semiconductor layer is electrically connected through an ohmic contact layer to the second electrode.

14. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, comprising switch elements corresponding to said photoelectric conversion elements.

15. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said switch elements are transistors.

16. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 14, comprising charge accumulating elements corresponding to said photoelectric conversion elements.

17. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 14, comprising charge accumulating elements corresponding to said switch elements.

18. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit outputs a signal for controlling exposure means.

19. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said exposure means comprises an X-ray source.

20. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a wavelength converting member provided on the entrance side of image information of said photoelectric conversion elements.

21. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said wavelength converting member comprises a fluorescent body.

22. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said photoelectric conversion element has an amorphous semiconductor layer.

23. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said amorphous semiconductor layer has hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

24. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a circuit for performing, in said first mode, a driving of the photoelectric conversion elements that is not related to output of image information.

25. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 24, comprising a circuit for, when the drive of the photoelectric conversion elements in said first mode comprises a predetermined set of operations, activating transition to the second mode after completion of said set of operations.

26. The radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 24, comprising a circuit for, when the drive of the photoelectric conversion elements in said first mode comprises a predetermined set of operations, activating transition to the second mode after ending said set of operations at that time.

27. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for producing a signal for starting the second mode, separate from an input signal for starting the first mode.

28. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first mode is to initialize said photoelectric conversion elements.

29. A driving method of a radiation image pick-up apparatus having a photoelectric conversion section in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arrayed two-dimensionally, comprising: a first mode for applying a voltage to the photoelectric conversion elements; and a second mode for obtaining signal outputs carrying image information from the photoelectric conversion elements after a lapse of a desired time from the first mode such that, by means of the first mode, a dark current component of the photoelectric conversion elements is made stable.

30. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein said first mode comprises performing a driving of the photoelectric conversion elements that is not related to the output of image information.

31. The driving method according to claim 30, wherein said drive of the photoelectric conversion elements is performed a plurality of times.

32. The driving method according to claim 31, wherein said drive of the photoelectric conversion elements transitions to the second mode by a signal of start of the second mode after completion of a predetermined set of operations.

33. The driving method according to claim 31, wherein said drive of the photoelectric conversion elements transitions to the second mode by a signal of start of the second mode midway in the predetermined set of operations.

34. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein transition to the second mode is effected by a timer at a desired time after start of the first mode.

35. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein transition to the second mode is effected by a switch.

36. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein transition to the second mode is effected by another switch different from a switch for start of the first mode.

37. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein transition to the second mode is effected by the same switch as a switch for start of the first mode.

38. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein start of the first mode and start of the second mode are determined by detecting a number of inputs of a switch.

39. The driving method according to claim 29, wherein transition from said first mode to the second mode is inhibited for a predetermined period of time.

40. The driving method according to claim 29, comprising a step of performing display to indicate the ready of transition to said second mode.

41. A radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for receiving X-ray wavelengths converted and emitted; a driving circuit for driving said photoelectric conversion elements, wherein said driving circuit has a function for setting said photoelectric conversion elements at a stand-by state or for performing reading drive; and a two-states switch for operating said driving circuit in the stand-by state and in a read driving state, wherein said two-states switch is at the stand-by state in a first state and is at the read driving state in a second state.

42. A radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a drive circuit for driving the photoelectric conversion elements; and a control circuit for controlling said driving, wherein said control circuit generates signals for starting a first mode for applying a voltage to said photoelectric conversion elements, and for starting, after stabilizing a dark current component of said photoelectric conversion elements after an elapse of a predetermined period in said first mode, a second mode for driving said photoelectric conversion elements and wherein said control circuit has a mechanism for effecting a restore state so as to apply no voltage to the photoelectric conversion elements in a non-operative period of the apparatus.

43. A radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; a drive circuit for driving the photoelectric conversion elements; and a control circuit for controlling said driving, wherein said control circuit generates signals for starting a first mode for applying a voltage to said photoelectric conversion elements, and for starting, after stabilizing a dark current component of said photoelectric conversion elements after an elapse of a predetermined period in said first mode, a second mode for driving said photoelectric conversion elements and wherein said control circuit comprises a circuit for controlling the predetermined period of time from start of said first mode to start of the second mode.

44. A radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising: plural photoelectric conversion elements for receiving X-ray wavelengths converted and emitted; a driving circuit for driving said photoelectric conversion elements; and a control circuit for controlling said driving circuit, wherein said control circuit, responsive to a first input signal, drives said photoelectric conversion elements in a first mode, and, responsive to a second input signal, drives said photoelectric conversion elements in a second mode for reading an image.

45. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising mechanical switch means for producing the first and second input signals.

46. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said mechanical switch means has a first position for enabling a switch for producing the first input signal, and a second position for enabling a switch for generating the second input signal.

47. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the first signal for driving said photoelectric conversion elements in the second mode is produced upon an input of the second signal, after a predetermined period from the input of the first input signal.

48. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the first mode is a waiting mode, and the second mode is an exposure mode.

49. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said mechanical switch operates also as the switch means of exposure means.

50. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said control means outputs a signal for controlling said exposure means for image reading.

51. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 49, wherein said exposure means includes an X-ray source.

52. A radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 50, wherein said exposure means includes an X-ray source.

53. A method for driving a radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising plural photoelectric conversion elements for receiving X-ray wavelengths converted and emitted and a driving circuit for driving said photoelectric conversion elements, said method comprising: in a first mode, responsive to a first input signal, setting the photoelectric conversion elements at a waiting state thereby stabilizing a dark current component of the photoelectric conversion elements; and in a second mode, responsive to a second input signal, driving the photoelectric conversion elements for reading image.

54. A method for driving a radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 52, wherein in said waiting state, a driving unrelated to the reading image is performed.

55. A method for driving a radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 52, wherein in said waiting state, a refresh operation is performed.

56. A method for driving a radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said first and second input signals are produced by mechanical switch means.

57. A method for driving a radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said second input signal is used as a signal for producing X-rays for the reading image.

58. A method for driving a radiation image pick-up apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said second mode is performed when, after inputting the first input signal for the first mode, a predetermined time is elapsed, and the second input is inputted.

59. A radiation image pick-up apparatus comprising a photoelectric conversion section including photoelectric conversion elements arranged two dimensionally, and a control circuit for controlling said photoelectric conversion section, wherein said radiation image pick-up apparatus has a first mode for initializing said photoelectric conversion elements at plural times before obtaining a signal output from said photoelectric conversion elements, and a second mode, changed from the first mode in response to a switch, for exposing to light said photoelectric conversion elements and for obtaining a signal from said photoelectric conversion elements.

60. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein said second mode includes a photographing mode and a correcting mode.

61. An apparatus according to claim 60, wherein said photographing mode includes an exposing period, and said correction mode includes a non-exposing period of substantially the same length as the exposing period.

62. An apparatus according to claim 61, wherein before the exposing period in the photographing period, and before the non-photographing period in the correction mode, a dummy reading time is conducted at one or more times, and an operation timing of the photoelectric conversion section before and after the exposing period and an operation timing of the photoelectric conversion section before and after the non-exposing period are substantially the same.

63. An apparatus according to claim 61, wherein the exposing period is controlled by photographing condition control means during the exposing.

64. An apparatus according to claim 61, wherein in the first mode, initializing the photoelectric conversion section is performed periodically, and the initializing period does not include the exposing period or the non-exposing period.

65. An apparatus according to claim 64, wherein the operation timing of the photoelectric conversion section in the periodic initialization in the first mode and the operation timing of the photoelectric conversion section in other than the exposing period and the non-exposing period in the second mode are substantially the same.

66. An apparatus according to claim 65, wherein the operation of the periodic initialization at producing the signal of the switch is used as the photographing mode, and performs the exposing continuously.

67. An apparatus according to claim 60, wherein reading data for the correction includes reading data for correcting a fixed pattern noise.

68. An apparatus according to claim 60, wherein reading data for correction include reading data for correcting gain variation.

69. An apparatus according to claim 60, wherein data at reading carriers containing the optical information and data at reading data for correction are subjected to an arithmetic operation to produce image information data.

70. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein initialization of the photoelectric conversion elements in the first mode is performed periodically, and, upon termination of the periodic initialization at the producing of the signal by the switch, the mode is changed into the second mode.

71. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the initialization of the photoelectric conversion elements is performed periodically in the first mode, and the periodic initialization is interrupted at the producing the signal by the switch, and then the mode is changed into the second mode.

72. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein the exposing includes an emission of the radiation.

73. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein immediately after the second mode, an electric field of the photoelectric conversion elements is set at a stop mode.

74. An apparatus according to claim 59, wherein immediately after the second mode, the mode is changed into the first mode.

75. An apparatus according to claim 74, wherein after the mode change into the first mode, when no switch operation has been performed for a predetermined period, an electric field of the photoelectric conversion elements is set at a stop mode.